Andrew S. enrolled in Flatiron School Houston because he saw first-hand that finance was turning toward big data. He wanted to become a software engineer to stay ahead of the trend and gain the skills he needed to succeed today and in the future. After enrolling in Flatiron School’s immersive Software Engineering program, Andrew is now a full-time software developer at iland Internet Solutions.
His first attempt to change his career was self-taught using an online curriculum. Andrew fully committed to changing his career after discovering how much he loved coding. But, he needed both hard skills and soft skills if he wanted to be a part of the future. That’s why he started researching in-person coding bootcamps and enrolling in Flatiron School.
At Flatiron School, he battled Impostor Syndrome at times when encountering new languages. He faced such a challenge during Mod 2 when he was introduced to Ruby. But he was able to lean on his classmates to get him back on track.
Additionally, he had key learning moments during the many paired programming sessions in each Mod because they taught him how to teach and learn code at the same time with his coding partner. You can also help teach your partner, which adds a great tool you’ll use every day as a developer. There will be times when you need to explain code or programming to someone without a technical background. Finding a middle ground where they understand what you’re doing is an invaluable skill for any software engineer.
The friends he made in such a short time at Flatiron School came as a surprise. Working with a career coach helped him prepare to land a job with a finance-focused tech company. “I like my career coach a lot. She understands the industry and what employers are looking for. I can bounce off my ideas with her and feel confident. She is also always there when I need help,” he says.
